Cigarette pack



July 30, 1935- J. L. BURKE 2,009,835 J- CIGARETTE PACK Filed Sept.`17', 1952 4 V132. 71,915 J6 J6' 20' Patented July 30, 1935 PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE PACK James L. Burke, Wcehawken, N. J., assigner to Modern Wrappers, Inc., a corporation of New Jersey Application september 1v, 1932, serial No. 633,633

7Claims.

'My present invention is particularly concerned with cigarette packs of the type retailed in vast number.

Y An object of the invention is to provide a pack of the above type which, while presenting all of theadvantages of the dust-tight, odor-proof and 4moisture-proof enclosure of the commercial packs of this type now on the market, aords the important additional advantage of facility in opening the same, and of adequately protecting the remaining. contents of the pack after the pack has been opened. Another object is to accomplish the above results Without resort to additional constructional elements in the pack, but by the use of the identical elements commonly used in the conventional pack, rearranged in manner-to accomplish the above mentioned further advantages. Another object is to provide a pack of the above type, which can be readily produced in large scale quantity production by use of the high speed automatic machinery now employed for producing cigarette packs and with but slight reorganization to accomplish the modified structure desired. A feature of the invention is the use of the government revenue stamp, which commonly serves as a sealing paster, to perform an additional function in facilitating the opening of the pack ,without destruction of the wrapper. In carrying out this object the revenue stamp is weakened transversely, preferably by a .line of perforations thereacross which may be applied in some point of the packaging operation, the stamp being affixed across the package and adhesively.

connected to the overlapping aps of the wrapper, thereby to hold them down although they are not connected to each other except by means of the revenue stamp. Upon breaking the line of perforations in the revenue stampthe package immodiately opens. This line of perforation may be broken by the finger nail, but preferably by having one or both of the extremities of the revenue stamp disconnected with respect to the pack to serve as finger grips so that by a mere pull thereon the revenue stamp becomes severed at its line of weakening and the flaps hinge to open position without destruction of the wrapper.

According to 'another feature as applied to the modern package, which includes both an inner wrapper and an outer wrapper, the latter of moisture-proof material such as cellophane, the inner wrapper need not be sealed at all and the revenue stamp may be applied to the outer wrapper so that after pulling open the latter the inner one is already open.

Cal

According to another embodiment each flap of the inner wrapper may be adhesively connected to the corresponding flap of the outer wrapper, so that upon severing the revenue stamp across the outer wrapper both of said wrappers will open 5 simultaneously Without destruction of either.

In the accompanying drawing, in which are shown one or -more various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment 10 of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in transverse crosssection thereof;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 showing the condition of the package after pulling apart the 15 tabs ofthe revenue stamp and Figs. 4, 5, 6 and '7 are views similar to Fig. 2 of other embodiments.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, there is shown a pack P of cigarettes enclosed in 20 the usual foil and paper wrapper II enclosed by a paper binder I2, the lower end of which binder has overlapping flaps I3 nterfolded with the lower end of the wrapper I I and adhesively connected as at I4.

According to the invention the protruding upper ends of the foil and paper wrapper Il are folded inward to provide lateral flaps I5 and I6, the lower of which is shown at I5 and the upper or overlapping one of which is shown at I6, the 30 latter having a free edge I6' substantially along -the longitudinal median plane of the pack.

'I'he revenue stamp I1 in the course of the automatic packaging operation is cancelled by a transverse weakening line, preferably a line of perfora- 35 tions or scoring I8, transverselyl and midway thereacross. The revenue stamp is adhesively connected to the pack by lines of adhesion I9 and 20, preferably spaced from the line of perforations I8 and from the free edge I 6 of the upper flap 40 and preferably also spaced from one or both ends of the revenue sta-mp to afford one or preferably two pull tabs 2l and 22 at the ends of the revenue stamp. According to this embodiment the pack is sealed against the entry of dust, moisture or odor and the loss of aroma.

To open the pack the user simply pulls on the tabs 2l and 22 constituting thel free ends of the revenue stamp, thereby severing the revenue stamp along its line of perforations I8, and since the revenue stamp is adhesively secured at I8 and 20 to the respective flaps I5 and I6 the latter by the continued pulling operation are caused to hinge open and to expose the cigarettes as best shown in Fig. 3. In this opening operation the wrapper is in no way mutilated since the flaps are not adhesively connected to each other except through the revenue stamp, which is adhesively connected only to the individual overlapping aps of the wrapper. The pack not being mutilated, the flaps are readily folded down after removal of a. cigarette or cigarettes and the-pack aiords far better protection to the remaining contents than in the case of ordinary packages after the latter have been torn open.

The embodiment of`Fig. 4 is similar to that of Figs. 1 to 3 except that in this case the ends of the revenue stamp are adhesively connected to the pack as well as the main area thereof, the adhesive extending throughout the area of the revenue stamp except only for the region immediately adjacent the'perforated or score line |88. In this embodiment the perforation would be severed by running the sharp linger nail across the line of perforation on the revenue stamp, thereby grasping the edge of the upper iiap with the linger nail, and the pack immediately opens. Similar parts are designated Vby the reference numerals of Figs. l to 3 with exponent a.

The embodiment of Fig. 5 is similar to that of Figs. 1 to 3 except that in this case the invention is shown as applied to a pack including, in addition to the inner paper foil and wrapper |b and the binder 2b an outer wrapper of moisture-proof character, ordinarily of Cellophane. This outer wrapper is shown at 30 and its iiaps are sealed together at the lower end of the pack (not shown) The flaps 3| and 32 at the upper end of the outer wrapper are adhesively connected, flap 3| to iiap ||b of the inner wrapper as at 33, and the upper flap 32 to flap I5b of the inner wrapper as at 3l. The revenue stamp Hb is applied to the outer wrapper exactly as in Fig. 1. The pack is accordingly in every respect as secure from the standpoint of preventing the entry of moisture, dust or foreign odors, or crumbling of the cigarettes into the pocket as in the case of such pack now on the market. It will be apparent that in opening the pack of Fig. 5, a pull on the tabs 2 |b and 22b of the revenue stamp will draw open the exposed aps 3| Aand 32 of the outer wrapper, and since the latter are adhesively connected to the corresponding flaps I6b and I5b of the inner wrapper, the latter will also automatically open, substantially in the same manner as in Fig. 3. 'I'he opposite flaps ol the inner and the outer wrappers are not adhesively connected with respect to each other except through the revenue stamp, and it is for this reason that the severing of the revenue stamp will cause the separation of the ilaps of the respective wrappers without destruction of either of these wrappers.

The-embodiment of Fig. 6 shows the revenue stamp I 1 applied as in the embodiment of Fig. 4, with its extremities pasted down but in this case applied to the modern wrapper shown in Fig. 5, which includes both the inner foil and paper wrapper ||c the binder |2 and the outer Cellophane wrapper 30.

In the embodiment of Fig. 'l the inner wrapper Hd of foil and paper is not sealed at itsupper end, but the upper flaps I5d and llid are simply overlapped without any adhesive connection directly to each other or by means of a revenue stamp or other paster. The outer wrapper in this case, also the conventional moisture-proof or cellophane wrapper, has the aps (not shown) -at the lower end of the pack, adhesively connected to each other and has its upper flaps 3 |d and 32d free from direct adhesive connection to each other but firmly closed by means of the revenue stamp |'|d substantially as in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3, said revenue stamp having a transverse line of scoring as at I8d and .adhering to the aps 3|d and 32d as at 35, and having pull tabs 2|d and 22i at the unconnected end or ends oi the stamp.

In the present embodiment, to open the pack the pull tabs are drawn apart, causing the outer or moisture-proof Wrapper to open, whereupon the inner Wrapper is simply pushed open with the iingers since there is no adhesive thereon. It will be understood of course that in the latter embodiment the stamp could, if desired, be pasted throughout its entire length substantially as in the embodiment of Fig. 4 and the pack opened by applying a sharp finger nail.

The government. revenue stamp being made of all-rag stock has marked tensile strength, greater by far than that of the stoc'k used for the package,

so that rupture will occur t the weakened line of the stamp and can occur nowhere else. 'I'hus the superior quality of the stock of the revenue stamp is usefully employed in facilitating. the opening of the package Without the least likelihood-or danger 0'! tearing the wrapper.

While the invention has its preferred applicability to cigarette packs, it will be understood that it may have other :fields of application. In particular the embodiment of Fig. 5, in which two wrappers enclosing the pack are simultaneously opened by a single operation on the revenue stamp or other label is of broader application t packs enclosed in double wrappers. l

It will thus be seen that there is herein described an article in which the several features of this invention are embodied, and which article in its action attains the Various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely dir ferent embodiments of this invention could be madeV without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not'inalimiting sense.4

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cigarette pack including a wrapper enclosing a plurality of cigarettes, said wrapper having overlapping aps adhesively connected together at' one end of the cigarettes and having overlapping flaps atthe other end of the cigarettes substantially free from direct adhesive connection to each other, and a government revenue stamp extending transversely across the package, adhesively connectedto each of said latter flaps, said stamp having a free end unconnected to the pack and serving as a linger tab for facility in opening the pack.

2. A cigarette pack including a paper wrapper sealed at one lend and having at the other end overlapping aps free from direct adhesive. connection with respect to each other, a revenue stamp extending transversely across said,latter pack end and rigidly connected to each of said overlapping pair vof flaps, said stampv having its free ends unconnected to the pack and serving as iinger tabs for facility in opening the pack.

3. A cigarette pack including a wrapper enclosing a plurality of cigarettes in parallel relation,

said wrapper having overlapping iiaps at one end sealed together and overlapping flaps at the other end of the pack, free from direct adhesive connection with respect to each other, a government revenue stamp adhesively connected transversely across the pack at said latter end, said stamp having a transverse line of weakening, the areas of y adhesive connection thereof to the pack being spaced from said perforated line and being spaced from the free edge of the uppermost nap of the pack.

4. A cigarette pack including a plurality of cigarettes, a wrapper enclosing the same having overlapping iaps adhesively connected together at one end of the pack and overlapping flaps free from adhesive connection to each other at the other end of the pack, an outer wrapper enclosing n said inner wrapper and having flaps adhesively connected to thevrespective flaps of the inner wrapper, and a label transversely across the end of said pack, adhesively secured with respect to saidoverlapping flaps of the outer wrapper but free from adhesive connection adjacent the free edge of the outer ap of the outer wrapper.

5. A cigarette pack having a Wrapper provided withA overlapping flaps adhesively connected together at one end of the pack and overlapping flaps free from adhesiveconnection to each other at the other end of the pack, an outer wrapper enclosing saidninner wrapper and having flaps adhesively connected to the respective flaps of the inner wrapper, and a government revenue stamp having a transverse line of weakening extending across said outer wrapper adhesively secured with respect to said overlapping flaps of the outer wrapper but free from adhesive connection at said line of weakening and at the extremity of the upper tiap of the outer wrapper.

6. A cigarette pack having a wrapper provided with overlapping flaps adhesively connected together at one end of the pack and overlapping aps free from adhesive connection to each other at the other end of the pack, an outer wrapper enclosing said inner wrapper and having aps adhesively connected to the respective flaps' of the inner wrapper, and a government revenue stamp having a transverse line of weakening extending across said outer wrapper, said revenue stamp adhesively connected to said pack through the major part of its area but free from adhesive connection thereto at the extremity of the upper flap of the outer Wrapper.

7. A cigarette pack having a wrapper provided with. overlapping flaps adhesively connectejd together at one end of the pack and overlapping flaps free from adhesive connection to each other at the other end of the pack an outer wrapper enclosing said inner wrapper and having aps adhesively connected to the respective flaps of the inner wrapper,and a government revenue 4stamp having a transverse line of weakening extending across said outer wrapper, said revenue stamp adhesively connected with respect to said pack at transverse areas thereof, spaced both from the ends of the said revenue stamp and from said line of weakening, thereby aording pull tabs at the extremities of said revenue stamp.

JAMES L. BURKE. 

